NSAID Use in Athletic Performance Management

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used among athletes for pain suppression and inflammation control. They act on cyclooxygenase enzymes to reduce prostaglandin synthesis and are often employed acutely after injury or prophylactically before exertion. While these agents can facilitate training continuity and accelerate return to play, concerns have been raised regarding gastrointestinal, renal and cardiovascular adverse effects, as well as potential interference with muscular adaptation. The prevalence of NSAID use spans elite to recreational sport, prompting scrutiny of dosing regimens, timing of administration and long-term safety. Current research seeks to balance analgesic efficacy with minimised risk, examine impacts on muscle recovery and performance, and explore the role of athlete education and prescription practices. Emerging evidence highlights sex differences in usage patterns, challenges in health literacy and the need for evidence-based guidelines to inform clinical decision making and athlete self-management.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A cross-sectional analysis of sport science and music students revealed that over half of sports students reported regular painkiller intake, often for prophylactic purposes, despite varying levels of health literacy. This work underscores the paradox of high medication use alongside insufficient understanding of potential side effects. Findings point to the need for targeted educational interventions within athletic curricula to improve decision making around NSAID consumption and to safeguard long-term health in physically active populations.

NSAID Use in Athletic Performance Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nsaid use in athletic performance management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID): A class of medication that inhibits cyclooxygenase enzymes to reduce pain and inflammation.

Analgesic: A substance that relieves pain without causing loss of consciousness.

Prophylactic use: Administration of a medication to prevent pain or injury before symptoms arise.

Health literacy: The capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information for informed decision making.

References

1. The Essential and Optimal Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Medicines for Athletes at the Olympic Games. Sports Medicine - Open (2024).
2. Painkiller intake and problematic health literacy in sport and music students - A cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports (2024).
3. Prevalence, frequency, adverse events, and reasons for analgesic use in youth athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 44,381 athletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (2022).